Carnegie Science Center today announced seven Carnegie Science Award winners in recognition of their regional achievements in education. Awardees will be honored during a formal celebration at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on Friday, May 6, 2016.

Three student winners, who will be selected at the Science Center’s 77th annual Covestro Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair, will be announced on Saturday.

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Also at the Science Awards ceremony in May, Carnegie Science Center will recognize 10 leaders in science and technology who were announced last week. In addition, the Science Center will recognize the Allegheny Conference on Community Development with the 2016 Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award is the highest honor conferred at the event and will recognize the Conference for its unparalleled impact in transforming the Pittsburgh region.

Carnegie Science Center established the Carnegie Science Awards program in 1997 to recognize and promote outstanding science and technology achievements in western Pennsylvania. Celebrating its 20th year in 2016, Carnegie Science Awards have honored the accomplishments of more than 500 individuals and organizations that have improved lives through their commitment and contributions in science and technology. Eaton has supported Carnegie Science Awards for more than a decade as presenting sponsor. Chevron is the Awards’ prime sponsor.

Elementary EducatorJessica Huzzard, MLISBrooks Elementary School, Moon Area School DistrictLeading the STEAM and Maker Movement at Brooks Elementary School is Library Media Specialist Jessica Huzzard. Securing funds to purchase Squishy Circuits and MaKey kits, Huzzard provides her students with real-world experience by enabling them to explore, invent, and challenge ideas. Through various STEM professional development trainings and workshops, Huzzard has created a vision for four makerspaces at Brooks Elementary School and secured a team of colleagues to collaborate with her.

Middle Level EducatorLaura MiccoEnvironmental Charter SchoolThrough experience-based learning opportunities for her students, Laura Micco is working with teachers to develop project-based learning units that cross cut all aspects of STEAM learning. As part of her push for Environmental Charter School to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, Micco trained teachers, deconstructed content, applied for grants, integrated partnerships with local organizations around the city, and managed to teach middle grades students about urban birding. Micco’s “Get Outside” campaign at Environmental Charter School has ignited and motivated teachers to document over 1,500 outdoor experiences for students during the 2014-2015 school year.Middle Level Educator honorable mention: Robin Whitaker, Chartiers Valley School District

High School EducatorRobert WesolowskiSaint Joseph High SchoolSaint Joseph High School educator and Master Teacher for American Society for Metals (ASM) International, Robert Wesolowski’s innovative, collaborative teaching methods help to make STEM concepts accessible and fun for students by using hands-on activities to breakdown complex theories and concepts. Adapting his curriculum to reflect emerging technology needs, Wesolowski ensures that his students are prepared for tomorrow’s STEM careers.

Leadership in STEM EducationBioinformatics Education TeamPittsburgh Supercomputing CenterStarting in 2001, the Bioinformatics Education Team has developed and implemented bioinformatics curriculums at graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels. Externally situated from minority-serving institutions (MSIs), the program focuses on building and sustaining curricula and research programs amongst MSIs. Adapted for the high school level in 2007, the curriculum features an in-depth introduction to bioinformatics with real-life emphasis on 21st Century career awareness and readiness.

Leadership in Career and Technical EducationDarby L. Copeland, EdDParkway West Career and Technology CenterAs Executive Director of Parkway West Career and Technology Center, Darby Copeland’s vision is to add relevant programs that align with the regional workforce and meet the 21st Century needs for career and marketplace. To expose students to a variety of skill sets and opportunities, Copeland has developed partnerships with The Energy Innovation Center and several post-secondary schools. Copeland is going beyond traditional programming to introduce new curriculum, such as Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapy Technology and Veterinary Assistant Technology, and he seeks input from regional industry experts to design programs.Leadership in Career and Technical Education honorable mention: Guy C. Berry, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University

University/Post-Secondary EducatorRichard D. Bowden, PhDAllegheny CollegeAllegheny College Professor Richard Bowden works with faculty members in the Department of Environmental Science to teach students how to apply STEM research methods to address environmental problems at local, regional, and global scales. Students working with him have collaborated with industry and university partners on projects related to wind energy, sustainable forestry education, alternative biofuel productivity and ecology, climate change effects on forest carbon dynamics, and long-term investigations of acid rain effects on forest soils. Most classes at Allegheny involve hands-on activities that apply environmental principles and theories to real-time investigations and environmental problem-solving.University/Post-Secondary Educator honorable mention: Mark T. Stauffer, PhD, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

University/Post-Secondary StudentElizabeth Oczypok, PhDUniversity of PittsburghAs a graduate student in the MD/PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh, Elizabeth Oczypok is on the cutting edge of asthma research. Her research of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) has impacted our understanding of how asthma develops. Oczypok, using mouse models, showed that it is impossible to develop asthma without RAGE, and that RAGE is needed for the accumulation of pro-inflammatory innate lymphoid cells in the lung after allergen exposure. Her research may lead to the development of new therapies for allergic asthma and the prevention of the disease.

Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center’s goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh’s premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs.

About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Founded by Andrew Carnegie 120 years ago, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. The museums reach more than 1.3 million people a year through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.